Midnight Escapes
by CrazedHumor
Summary: The only place that you can get away from everything is when you're asleep, dreaming. But suddently...you're thrown into a room with the one person you never thought possible. Ron and Hermione with no way out...Oh god... takes place in sixth book .
1. Seeing is Believing

Hey everyone!

I would just like to point out that this plot was inspired by **Holly**. If any of you know who this is then you will know what I'm talking about. I thought about what had taken place in her story _Dreamscape_ and wondered, _What would Ron and Hermione do?_

Thus produced this little peice of goodness.

I highly thank her. I do not mean to disrespect her in any way. I find her to be one of my favorite authors that I have spent years following and hope to continue reading for many more to come.

Here it is!

~*~

_**Chapter One**_

_Seeing is Believing_

The dreams began without even invitation.

He had felt worn out. He couldn't even remember how many times he had gotten hit in a soft spot or how many times he had each of his muscles screaming at him for a too long of a reach. All he knew was that he had been battered and torn at all day and he was tired. The last thing that he wanted was to climb _another_ set of stairs. But he did.

When he finally go to the top, he was rewarded. He was able to undress and just lay down in his bed until all his aches went away.

It hadn't been all bad. Most of the night after the game he had spent with Lavender.

He had never kissed a girl before. Just to clear the air, the first time that he had kissed a girl was when he was sixteen and it was in front of a crowed of people with a girl he barley even knew. He had seen her in the halls a few times with a crowed of her other girl friends, but otherwise as soon as he walked passed her, she was out of his mind. Not a second thought.

Then, out of nowhere, she attacks him in a rush and they're snogging without him even realising it. As soon as it happened his eyes had widened and shock racked through him. There was a girl practically all over him and he couldn't even remember her name quite right...

_Lilly...Raven...Alanna...Claire..._God. Why couldn't he remember? Then something had clicked. _Lavender. That's it._

And this had all taken place about an hour ago.

That wasn't even how it was suppose to go. It was suppose to be clumsy. He was going to be embarrassed and he'd feel the tip of his ears turn red. Then there would be a pause and she would laugh and say that she didn't mind and they'd try again...it wasn't even the right girl.

Then again, Lavender was great at it. And at being a teacher. The whole hour that they had been, _as he assumed_, going out, Lavender had managed to teach him a lot in the manners of kissing a girl. Except for that intermission that hadn't gone all too well...

Hermione had been furious. When he had stumbled in with..._Lavender_...she had been crying. He could tell that something had taken her over the edge and she had been tearing up, but then he had to go and open his idiot mouth and that made this worse, as it usually does. He hadn't talked or seen Hermione for the rest of the night, and had made a point to. He didn't want to be attacked by something on a larger size, like a cat.

Now though, even as he closed his eyes he couldn't stop seeing her and the look on her face. The pain that his body was giving was far less painful than what she felt.

The horrible thing was, was that he knew that _somehow_ tomorrow he'd make it worse.

He sighed and sat up to close the curtains and fall back onto his side.

It was going to be a long day.

The first thing that came to his eye was the fact that the girl in question was sitting only feet away from him on a bed he had never seen before.

"Ron?" She stared at him and shook her head. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Ron looked around at the room. It looked to be like a miniature house without a kitchen. He saw a bathroom just across from him and a closet near there, but otherwise there were no doors that could lead to the outside world even at the end of a stretched out hallway. Only the ugly pictures on the walls and the plain white sheets on the queen sized bed showed any sign of human life.

He bumped into something to the side of him. There was a chair A nightstand with a lamp and what looked to be a clock stood next. He looked at it closer and for nearly a minute he stared at it. Only instead of the 8:04 turning into a 8:05, it turned into a 8:03. Something was going on.

Then he realised something: Hermione. Hermione was sitting. Here.

He looked up to find her twisted around in her sitting position and looking at him strangely. She was what looked to be her pajamas, a tank top and short shorts. Then he looked down at himself and found that he was in his sweats as well. With no shirt on.

He didn't understand.

"What are you doin' here?" He held up a hand. "No wait, what am I doin' here?"

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know, but I _think_ we're in a motel room."

He looked around and sarcastically replied. "I would have never guessed...Anyway what are you doing here?"

Hermione stood. "What am _I _doing here? What are _you _doing here? You're not suppose to be here, though...I should expect you to after all this time..."

He held up a hand. "No. I fell asleep. I remember staring at the curtains and then I was asleep. That means this is my dream, so again-?" He stopped.. "You did?"

Hermione waved a hand. "I just don't understand. I have knowledge that I'm asleep, so why can't I use any magic, and why can't I wake myself up? It doesn't make any sense."

"Now you're startin' to talk like me."

Hermione started to pace around the room, her hands fisting themselves in front of her. "Okay. I just have to look at this rationally. I went to bed after I sent those birds on you," she motioned toward Ron and continued pacing. "I tried to read for a while, but failed so I went to sleep...and then..." She looked around. "I ended up here."

Ron held up a hand. "Wait. I remember goin' to sleep too. How do you suppose this is your dream?"

"Well, seeing as how you've never stayed in a Best Western, and don't even know what it looks like, I had to have thought this up."

Ron stood still. So...if she really had thought this up...then that would mean that she wanted to stay in a motel. With him. By themselves. Plus he had no shirt on. Somehow he found this a little comforting.

He had to shake himself though. He was standing in the middle of something that wasn't real. He was with a Hermione that had no idea what she was capable of, especially in a dream. If he let anything happen in here then he was sure that something would happen when he was awake. He couldn't do anything in here. He didn't even know that you could be aware that you were asleep while in dreams.

The last dream he had had been of him in the front of a large crowd in front of his house. When he looked down, the only thing that was covering him were the papers that he was holding in front of him. He remembered scrambling to cover himself until the papers turned into a book and he forgot about the crowed. Curious, he opened it to find blank pages. Then he had heard her voice, crying at him for the comment he had made about her while they had been in The Three Broomsticks.

He thought about it again though. He knew a lot about Hermione. He knew what it took to get her all riled up. He knew just what to say to get her flustered and make her storm off. He knew that nearly every single book in the library had been read by her. He knew that her favorite thing to do was to sit underneath the large oak tree near the river in the field by his house. He knew that she liked to write with a Original Merl Quill.

But he didn't know a lot more. He didn't know what kind of music she listened to, or her favorite color, book, food, her firsts, her best and worst moments. He knew so little about her and he had spent the last six years with her. Sometimes he wondered about these things so that he'd be able to get on her good side when he'd beome a prat and muck everything up. Even through all thoughs summers that she'd come to the house early and they hung out for hours by themselves there hadn't been much talking.

There really hadn't been much need for it. Most of the time they had to do something or it had been a long day and they both had been too tired to make conversation.

Most of their time had been spent in an offbeat, yet comfortable, silence.

Which was the opposite for the last few minutes.

"So what's wrong then? If you're dreamin' it's not like you have to worry about anythin'." He sighed and rocked on the balls of his feet. "You're just mad, aren't you? 'Cuz you can't figure out what's goin' on."

She looked at him from over her shoulder.

In the last six years that he'd known her he had forgotten just how much she had struck him. The first time that she had seen her, they had only been eleven. He remembered how frizzy her hair had been and how completely straight she stood. The first time that she had talked he couldn't get over how she enunciated each and every word and all those big words that seemed so out of place, but came so easily to her.

could see she still had all that frizz though underneath that constant use of the _straightener_ that she had started to use, and noticed how her eyes lit up every time she came into contact with something new and exciting or she learned something she hadn't thought of before. Somehow she didn't even need to do anything and her skin stayed clear and clean every day.

"No, I just don't _understand_what's going on. There's quite a difference." She sat down on the bed again facing him. "Besides, I can't be sure that you're not _really_ Ron. Someone could have put a spell on us."

"Alright. Ask me somethin'. Anythin' only I know."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "If you're part of my dream then that means that anything I ask myself, I'll know." She ran her hands in her hair and sighed. "Looks like I'm stuck here until I wake up."

Ron's eyes narrowed. "Yeah. I'm sure bein' stuck in a room with me more than a few minutes must be _terrible_."

Hermione huffed. "Oh, you know what I mean. I just didn't think a dream would be us stuck in a room. I mean, if someone did this to us, there _had_ to be something to it, right? To scare us or persuade us? That's what I'm confused."

Ron stared at her. This was Hermione. Everything that she'd done so far was something that he knew she was going to do. Maybe he really was dreaming and this Hermione was the Hermione that he was controlling, for once.

"So, while we're here we might as well make the most of it." He walked over to the closet and opened it. He grinned. He didn't know what had told him, but he knew it'd be here. He picked up the box and set it on the bed next to her. "Wanna play?" He opened the lid and set the board in the middle of the bed and he crossed his legs. Then he held up a piece. "What's this?"

Hermione smirked and took it from his hand. "This is a muggle's chess board. You have to move the peices yourself."

Ron snorted. "What's the fun in that?"

Hermine smirked. "You get to knock off the other persons pieces yourself."

Ron stared at her. Did he know this? He couldn't remember Hermione telling him about muggle's chest in the real world. Then again, most of the time he had tuned her out if it was about something that he was going to learn about.

Hermione ended up setting up the game for them as he sat and watched. When she was finished, she motioned for him to go first.

They sat there for a while, playing in a silence that the real Ron and Hermione had found themselves in so many times before.

"So," she started, "You and Lavender are going out now, I'd imagine."

Ron glanced at her. "I don't know. What would dream Ron say?"

Hermione shrugged. "Depended on whether it was a nightmare or not." She moved her next piece and continued to stare at the board her hands fisted together. "Besides, how am I ever going to figure out which one you are if you ask me?"

He moved. "Thought it'd better my chances at not getting a vital appendage taken off."

She licked her lips, pondering her next move. "I don't think I could do that here even if I wanted to." She waited and adjusted her position. "Though, I wasn't surprised."

Ron raised a brow. "Surprised?"

"At you giving in to Lavender." She said it so simply, like she was just waiting for him to be jump out of nowhere. "I figured that since you haven't had a girlfriend yet, and with Lavender giving you so many clues and you remaining unresponsive, it was only natural that she would throw herself at you. I would expect that you wouldn't fight it."

Ron was looking at her but she refused to meet eye with him. "You thought, that because I haven't dated anyone, that I'd go with the first girl that came along?" Ron stood and turned around to face her, face angered. "Look who's talking. First guy that finds you remotely attractive and suddently you guys are goin' to the ball together!"

Hermione stood too, the chess pieces falling and rolling amoungst themselves atop the bed. "Well, excuse me for likeing someone with more than half a brain and asked me first! You know that I went with him because I wanted to, not because I was _desperate_. At least I knew his name!"

"So that gave you reason to say yes to the first person who asked you?"

She threw her hands up. "What was I suppose to do, Ron? Please tell me, because obviously anything that I think is wrong to you. Was I suppose to wait until I pile of boys came at me? Or just one that jumped on me?" She turned from him. "Was I suppose to wait for you?"

Ron shook his head. "You know, I asked you too, ya know."

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and she twirled around to face him. "Yeah. Because I knew you were going to ask me even after _everything_...and you shouldn't have asked me out of desperation. I was your last choice! You only wanted to go with me because there was no one else! Victor wanted to go with me because he liked _me_." She rounded on him. "_And _you have _no_ right to yell at me for that! That was nearly a year ago! You never told me_ anything_! All I wanted was for you to..."

She shook her head. "This is nonsense. I'm yelling at the figment of my imagination of Ron. Yelling isn't going to solve anything."

Ron nodded. "You're right." He shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "I caved in. I let Lavender kiss me..."

Hermione looked away from him. "Nearly _swallowed_ is more like it."

"...at the party. And yeah, I'm goin' out with her now, so what does it concern you? It doesn't matter what you think, because you have no say."

Hermione laughed. "You're right. I have absolutely no say what happens in your love life, but I do have a say as your friend. I know Lavender, Ron. I know her and the only reason she likes you now is because she heard about you."

"Heard about me?"

Hermione nodded slowly. "They were talking. There were a bunch of these girls and they were all talking about getting Harry with a love potion. Then they brought up you...and one of them laughed at you because you've never gone out with anyone and they all said you'd be a horrible kisser and so I stood up for you...I told them that it was a lie. That I'd heard that you were quite amazing actually and then Lavender got this idea to go for you because there was less competition..."

"Bloody hell." Ron scowled. "So you're sayin' that the only reason Lavender wants to be with me is because I'm _easier _to get at than Harry."

Hermione tossed her hair. "I'm sorry Ron. I only tried to help..."

"So you only think that I'm with Lavender now is because I'm second to Harry?!" He scoffed. "What? Now you're gonna tell me that that's why you're friends with me? Cause I'm friends with Harry?"

She stomped her foot and held up her hands in defence. "No. No Ron that's _not _what I'm saying! All I wanted was-"

"To get me out of your hair, right? Didn't wanna deal with me anymore?"

"Ron! Will you just stop and listen to me!"

"No. I can't kiss? _I _can't kiss? I'll show you!" Ron was suddenly furious and he thundered toward Hermione and grabbed her at the shoulders, forcing her to look at him. Then he just stared at her, contemplating whether he should go through with it or not.

He went with it.

As he had stormed up to her he thought he'd teach her a lesson. He thought he'd walk over to her, and kiss her so hard that their teeth would hurt. But, when he had reached her, he had gotten a look at her. She was still the same.

Her eyes were still the largest and most curious, beautiful eyes that he had first seen six years ago. Her skin was as clear as ever and when he moved his hand to her neck, he felt how soft it was. Even her hair was the same, only now it was disguised by the straightener that she had started using three years ago.

And he had gotten so caught up that it wasn't harsh and it wasn't rushed. Somehow one of Ron's hands had found it's way to the back of her neck and his thumb rubbed against the bare patch just below her hair line. Then the other snacked around to the small of her back and he pressed her to him. It was soft and it lasted until they both needed to breath.

When it was over, she stared at him. Her hand came up to her mouth, confusion and angst covering her features. Then she backed away slowly until she hit something behind her. Then she ran down the hallway and just before she reached the wall, she disappeared.

Ron ran a hand through his hair and stared at where she had dissapeared. Then he looked around the room. He was alone.

He stepped back until the back of his knees hit the bed and he sat down. His face fell into his hands and he rubbed his eyes.

How many times had that happened? What was this the one hundred and first time? How many times had his lips touched one of his best friends, who happened to be a girl's, lips and woken up from it only moments later. How many times had his dreams continued until he has woken up tangled in the sheets, covered in sweat, completely starkers, and going mad as a hatter?

Too many. To the point where he couldn't deny it anymore two years ago.

He twisted and looked around the room. The clock sitting on the nightstand caught his eye. 6:25. He stared at it for a while, all thoughts running through his head at once until it read 6:20.

Six hours and twenty minutes left until he woke up.

Perfect.

~*~

How'd I do? Haven't written a Harry fic. in _years_. My others I've pulled off of here and I thought I'd start fresh with _Midnight Escapes, The Night, _and _Forged Time Unforgiven. _These are HP, Twilight, and Buffy fics.

Review? Maybe chappie come sooner?

Competition between _Midnight Escapes, Forged Time Unforgiven, _and _Within the Fire_ will be based on how much demand each get. Just to let you know.

More Demand = Higher Priority


	2. Seeing Double

Yo! So here is the second chapter.

**Yes, this **_**is **_**rated for later chapters. **

**IMPORTANT: READ A/N AT BOTTOM!**

While I've been writing this fic, I've found that the first chapter was forced. I couldn't concentrate and I wasn't _into _it. I think in order to make a better impression I'll go back and rewrite it, if not for you guys then for me.

Otherwise, here's the next chapter, which came _so_ much easier to me.

Enjoy.

~*~

_**Chapter Two**_

_Seeing Double_

It took him forever to fall asleep that next night. When it had been time to crawl into bed, he was so jittery that he had ended up sitting in front of the fire in the common room for nearly two more hours. Then, when he was able to finally lie down, he had gotten a head ache. His felt as though it were literally splitting from the bridge of his nose to the back of his neck. In turn, he had sat there with his curtains drawn closed, staring into the dark until his head fell forward onto his chest and he eyes closed from exhaustion.

He had thought about his last dream all day. During his classes, during his break, at lunch and dinner the only thing he could think about was the dream that he had had last night. Every time he saw Hermione, the only thing he wanted to do was go right up to her and confront her. He had three classes with her. Potions. Defence Against the Dark Arts. Transfiguration. Every time that he looked at her, she made it perfectly clear that the only thing that she was focused on was her book.

The halls were no better. Every time that they had crossed paths Hermione made it clear that she was in no mood and refused to talk to him. At one point she had even caught the attention of McLaggan and walked the rest of the way to her next class with him. Or at least that's what went through his head for the next hour.

Later on he had come across her in the great hall at dinner. She had been sitting by herself with a book at hand and her eyes plastered to it. Every now and then she'd make a note or two in a notebook and then she'd hold the end of the pen to her lips and continue reading. He had walked feebly, shoulders hunched, biting lip, and hands in pockets toward her in determination to find out if the dreams were real.

When he approached her he was only able to get out her name before she closed her book, thrust her plate away, and storm off through the entrance of the Great Hall.

When he had seen Hermione before any of this happened he had been able to completely close off any thoughts about her that would make them both on the verge of uncomfortableness. Now, the only thing that he could do was second guess anything he did. Whenever he said something or did something he'd think about what she'd say in response or how she'd feel about it.

Most of his day had been filled with shrieks. Lavender was there at every turn and in every class they had together, she had promptly taken Harry's previous space next to him. He couldn't walk through the halls without his name being heard from out of nowhere when he'd turn to see her running at him.

It was nice having someone there for him. She'd ask him how his class was and make a few snide remarks that he'd laugh at...but then he'd think about how Hermione would glare if she had heard and immediately his laughing would stop. Then she'd pull him to the side and ask him if anything was wrong and he'd say no and then they'd snog until they knew they had to get to class.

So now he was confused. For some reason he couldn't break it to Lavender about Hermione. How could he even know if the dreams were real? The fact that she was ignoring him could be because he was with Lavender in the first place, which was also to his confusion.

So when he had closed his eyes only to open them again only in the same room as last night's insinuendo, he felt a little broken down. He looked around the room to find that it was exactly the same. The clock even read 8:05, as it was now expected to. He also noticed that he was now in the same things he had worn to bed.

She looked up at him from her position against the wall opposite him, on the other side of the bed, and on the floor. "Ron?"

He nodded and swung his arms at his side. "Yeah. Looks like we're in for another night."

Ron had wanted to start the conversation. He didn't want to go over what had happened last night but he wanted _something_ to go through the air around them. He didn't do well under pressure. Things never really came easily for him. When he was with someone most of the conversation was forced. They'd always have to bring up something like a test or the weather for there not to be awkward silence.

With Harry and Hermione it was different. There was always something to talk about with them. Most of the time they didn't need to think about what was going on with them for there to be something said. It was like they could each read each others thoughts.

Right now was the complete opposite.

The only thing that Ron wanted to do right now was to crawl under a rock and die. It didn't even need to be a rock really. He just didn't want to have anyone walking by to have a heart attack and fall in next to him.

For the rest of the night neither of them said anything. They sat there, unchanging, but switching positions to get more comfortable every now and then. Eventually, Ron caved and lay all the way on the right side on the bed so that it Hermione wanted to she could get on it too. She didn't though and instead stayed stubbornly on the floor.

That was how most of the nights went. Every now and then conversation was had, but most of the time each of them sat in their own silence.

Durring the day they spent most of their time avoiding each other at all costs, switching their time with Harry in a silent agreement. Ron didn't see him a lot anyway. Most of his time was consumed with Lavender. She refused to leave his side if they both were with free time. She hung on his arm with a smile on her face and talked until Ron had no choice but to completely faze her out, occasionally nodding his head.

When Ron was with Harry they talked about everything but the dreams that he was having. Harry brought up Malfoy at any chance, asking about what he could be up to or where he was at or if Ron had heard anything. He hadn't of course, but as Harry had thought that now that he was going out with Lavender he was privileged to more information. From all of the conversations he had gotten stuck in with Lavender and her group of friends, the only thing girls talked about were guys and pygmy puffs.

He was sure that the dreams were starting to effect his real life too. One time while Ron was starring at the wall in the Common Room, he had heard his name from somewhere behind him and he spun around quickly, breathing out Hermione's name only to find it to be Parviti, asking him about the assignment for Potions that was due tomorrow, which he hadn't even thought of starting yet.

Then something happened and Ron had snapped.

In more ways than one.

~*~

He had spent most of the day not paying attention to anything around him. Whenever he was in class the book in front of him came in his favor for once. When a teacher asked a question or looked for volunteers, he made his presence unknown by stuffing his face in the designated book, looking heavily in thought. Then, as time passed, his mind and eyes would eventually wander. Most of the time landing a few seats away and at the front of the room.

There was a line. A line that both of them had silently drawn in front of one another. This was where things got difficult and things that would go unspoken would stay unspoken and both parties had agreed not to do. Guess who was the first one to break it?

His eyes only just opened and he felt heavy. He felt the usual suction of being pulled into his imagination. Objects were pulled into place. The room and its colors became less blurry and the focus felt better on his eyes. His feet landed on something hard and hollow until the carpet formed underneath his feet.

The first thing he heard was the fury in her voice.

"Ronald Weasley! How dare you!"

He was too out of it to react. Then again, he wouldn't have done anything about it if he could have.

Hermione was standing at the other side of the room one moment and the next thing he realised was a horrible stinging sensation covered his entire left cheek. He lifted a hand to feel he heat it was already emitting.

Hermione had slapped him. Hard.

It wasn't just the physical act that she had committed either. He knew that behind that one motion six years of pent up frustration at his idiocy had followed in its wake.

She had done well too. He found that it hard for people not to release their anger at him over time. Most found it too hard to keep their anger to themselves for long. His mother had only lasted three years. This was the life of a Weasley.

"How could you!" Hermione screamed at him, fist clenched at her sides and into her white tank top. "What did you think you'd accomplish? Putting an end to this fight by humiliating me in front of the entire class? I'd expect this from a lot of people, Ron. Never from you!"

Ron scowled. "Yeah, because the nicest thing to do after I mucked up that spell was to laugh. You could have fixed it, Hermione. I'm sure you could have plungered up _something_."

She shook her head. "Please. Everyone laughed. I was the only one that got any dispute because of it!"

"No," he pointed a finger at her, "the only reason you were so pleased was _because _I did it in front of everyone, including Lavender."

She turned to him and glared. "What? How does this have _anything _to do with her? We were talking about _us, _Ron. Just you and me. Lavender is completely from my mind."

"Right." He laughed disgruntling. "Then why haven't you talked to me? Why wont you at least let me stand next to you? I mean you went as far as to talk to McLaggen to get away from me!"

"He happens to be perfectly good company, I'll have you know. We even got to talking about S.P.E.W. and he finds it quite interesting-"

"Please. The only reason he'd listen to that is for one reason."

She squinted and stepped to him until the arms across her chest were barley touching his. "Say it, Ron. Tell me exactly what you were thinking, because I think I'd really like to know."

He sputtered. "Well...you know. He only wants you for snoggin'...and stuff."

She touched him. The tip of her finger found the center of his chest. "If you're insinuating what I think you're insinuating, then you better shut your mouth right now."

"That's what you wanted. You said you wanted to know why he wanted you. He only wants your-"

This time he would have taken the slap. He would have taken the slap on the same cheek.

Instead Hermione landed a blow on his right eye, fist tight, arm straight out, she knocked him so hard, that like a tree, he fell down and onto the nightstand. He could feel his scalp open at the back and what seemed to feel like blood seeping out. An immediate headache followed.

He groaned as he got up.

Hermione stood there staring at him, uninterested in helping him up, but acute awareness that he was seriously hurt rising to the service until she sternly told him to sit on the bed and she left to the bathroom.

Ron held a hand to his eye and sighed. Well, now he was happy. At least he knew that the punch Hermione had landed on Malfoy had left an imprint.

Hermione returned with two cold wet cloth in hand and told him to turn to the side. Then she handed him one for him to place on his eye. She didn't say anything after that as she cleaned his cut. He knew that if she was still as mad as she was before her hadn't wouldn't have been as easy on him as it was. It stroked along the cut, taking along with it the blood that dripped from it.

His voice was quiet and soft, trying not to make it sound as harsh as it did in his mind. "So, did you have fun at the party with McLaggen, then?"

Hermione continued to clean his cut as she spoke. "Well...if you must know, it was awful. He was quite dreadful to be honest. The only thing he talked about the whole night was about his _hundreds _of saves at the keeper tryouts. The only bit of liveliness throughout the entire night was when Luna brought on a conversation about Hartailed Snortbacks."

Ron didn't move, bit he was even a little bit happier on the fact that Hermione had had such a horrible time with McLaggen. His night hadn't been such better with Lavender. As per routine, Lavender's group of girls sat giggling only feet away from them as he and her sat entwined in the chair.

Ron had tried to talk to her about what was going on. Not specific details, but about how he and Hermione weren't talking anymore and about the rush of all his classes. She wouldn't have it though and the most he was about to get out was when she was at his neck.

When she was done she stood. "You'll be fine." She she went to the bathroom for a moment and returned without the cloth.

"Well I hope your happy. Look what you've done. " Ron uncovered his eye, which was already starting to swell. "Wonder if this'll really show up."

Hermione shrugged and made her way around the rubble to sit in the still intact chair. "I haven't a clue whether or not what we do in here effects what happens out there." At Ron's look she rolled her eyes. "Physically."

They sat there for a while in a silence that was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable.

"How do you do it?" Ron didn't look at her, but he could feel her shift in the chair.

"Do what?"

"How do you not let it effect you?"

"Which part? The teasing or...this?"

Ron let his good eye land on her. "Both."

Hermione sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Well, most of my life I've spent learning. My parents taught me at an early age that knowlege will give me a good future. Then I was so spent on learning that I started to love it. So, as expected, I wasn't the most popular person at my school." She stared at her feet, legs crossed and leaning in the direction of Ron. "As for this...I try to keep my personal time and class time as seperate as possible. It's easier that way."

He laughed. "That's a load. Are you telling me that this place never crossed your mind _once _during class."

She shook her head. "I'm not saying that. I'm just saying that I _try _not to think about anything other than what I'm doing at the moment."

Ron didn't persist. He didn't want anything else to get even worse than it as at the moment.

At his feet was the clock, now upside down. He could still read it though and he watched it change for a while as the minutes passed by.

"Why did you do it?" Hermione's voice was soft. "Why did you have to do that?"

Ron sat for a long time wondering on how to answer that. Until he realised that there was no best way to put it. He could have lied about it or put it in a way he'd think only he could understand, but he was talking to Hermione. "I was mad. You've been ignoring me. You wont come within feet of me. I'm sick of havin' to have to have Harry in the middle of it, 'cause I know he hates it. I just wish this was over."

When Hermione didn't respond, he looked at her through his hands.

She was now turned away from him, adjusting her short pajama shorts to cover a little more. "I'm not sayin' I'm sorry for the birds. But I am sorry for your eye... and head. That was uncalled for."

Ron nodded and eased himself into a more comfortable position. "Why're you ignorin' me? Out there I mean."

"Ron, just because this happened, doesn't mean that I'm going to ignore everything else."

Something came out of him that sounded like a growl of frustration. "I don' get why you're so upset! So I'm going out with Lavender? That doesn't mean you get to bite my head off about it. You're my _friend_. It's not like Lavender's hurting anythin'."

Hermione stared at him through her lashes. "You...are unbelievable." She stood and her hand came up to her temple. "Didn't we already have this conversation? Not everything is about you and Lavender! Not everything has to do with your new girlfriend! You've always been this way. Every since I met you, all you seem to do is no understand to obviousness and say all the wrong things at the exact wrong moment."

"So, basically you're mad that your friends with me because I act like myself. Because _that's _a great reason to punch me."

Her mouth hung open. "You know I'd _never _do something like that Ronald. You know I'm friends with you because you're..." She turned away from him and stared at the picture on the wall. For a minute all she did was look at the way the lines around the picture curved every now and then and the way the realistic sand faded at the edges.

"What?"

"You're Ron Weasley. That fact that you're friends with Harry doesn't have anything to do with our friendship. If Harry didn't exist, which yes would be terrible, then I would still be your friend...even though we'd get into horrible fights and wouldn't talk for weeks on end...What about me? Would have be here with me if Harry wasn't?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I don't know who'd I'd get along with if Harry wasn't here. Seamus and Dean, maybe. I don't even know if I'd met you if Harry wasn't here." He bit his lip. "You're right though. It would've been hard without him. He's like the referee, yeah? Not takin' sides, only makin' sure everything is fare."

Hermione and Ron were now both sitting, Ron on the chair, Hermione on the bed.

Ron didn't really understand what had just happened.

"Me 'an Harry are going to the Burrow tomorrow. For Christmas that is."

"I know. I'll be going home and then to Paris soon after."

He remained silent and that was that.

~*~

**A/N READ ME**

I'm wonderin' whether I should fit this into the book as in "wow all of this happened but it didn't change anything"? Or should I play it off and make an alternate ending?

Yes, I do know that it was short for my taste. Next one to be posted (hopefully) soon. Depends on the reviews...Just to let you know, comming up it will be more of a broad focus. I don't want this fic to spend _all_its time on the sould perpose of Ron and Hermione getting together...

Yeah Right!

So I'm wonderin' if that was too OOC...Let me know for future refrence!

Later!

_CrazedHumor_


	3. Sudden Sever

Sorry, I'd like to change something from the summary that's oh so obvious...

This takes place in the _Sixth Book_.

Just to let you guys know...

~*~

**Chapter Three**

_Sudden Sever_

Ron sat on the edge of the cold bed early that night.

He had had a full day of "welcome homes" and homemade food that he hadn't seen in months. No matter how noisy and how loud it could get in his house, especially around Christmas, he still loved to be there. Having to spend nine months away from where he grew up for eleven years was...nice, but coming home did have its advantages and a full stomach was worth the torment his brothers were reeking.

Harry had taken up some of his time too. He knew that Harry liked to come back to the burrow when things were starting to get bad. Ron also knew that no matter how many times Harry came over to his house he was still completely struck by how things worked around there.

When he wasn't surrounded by everyone else he was able to slip out back and make his way toward the pond and sat under the large oak tree there after changing into a pair of old sweats and sweater. He was able to sit there for about an hour thinking about the last summer before someone had came out to find him.

He looked out over the water as he thought about that time he was finally able to drag Hermione out of the house to come out here with him for an afternoon and swim.

He could remember that the whole day had been filled with the annoying pestering of Fred and George until he was able to sneak away by using Ginny as a diversion. His mom was busy telling his dad something so he had snuck Hermione out of the house and took her out back.

They had walked for a while, talking about what was going to happen with Harry and the exams coming up. The fact that Fred and George were gone a lot recently had been brought up too. They each had their own suspicions.

Then they had reached the lake where Hermione had immediately sat down and brought out a book Ron hadn't even seen her carry with her. He had looked behind him at the blistering sun that was slowly falling into the fields and at the water only feet away. Then he looked back at Hermione and rolled his eyes.

Quickly he had found his way behind the tree and stripped down to his shorts. Then he remembered thinking to himself for nearly five minutes for the right incantation until he was finally able to mutter a spell and become satisfied with was he was given.

He looked around the trunk of the tree at Hermione who was still fully in her book. He started at a run and jumped into the pond, splashing Hermione and her book, unknowingly. When he came up for air he was laughing.

"It's not funny, Ron. You got my book wet!" Hermione shook out her book and set it to the side, and kept the pages open.

"Come on, Hermione. We've only got a few more days until all hell breaks loose. Might as well enjoy 'em!"

Hermione glanced from Ron toward the house where both of them had heard the miraculous sound of nothing. Only silence.

She shook her head and stepped behind the tree and out of Ron's sight. Then only a minute later had she stepped back out and walked toward the waters edge.

Ron remembered staring at her until she had said something. He had never seen her in anything less that her everyday robes and clothes. Now, she had a two piece bathing suit on that didn't cover nearly as much as he supposed her undergarments did. Over the years he hadn't noticed how she had filled out until that moment. Or how much baby fat that she had lost, or how much her hips had widened and her legs had grown.

Then she had made her way through the weeds and walked up to the waters edge to stick her toe in. "Ron, it's cold."

"Not nearly as cold as it usually is. C'mon it's hot. This'll feel good. Trust me."

Hermione bit her lip and stared into the water long enough so that she didn't see Ron take a hand and grab her, dragging her into the water.

She shrieked as she came to the surface. "Ron! It's freezing!"

He laughed and shrugged. "Forgot to tell ya. The further you go down the colder the water is."

She growled and pulled her hair away from her face, not succeeding and instead causing her hair to fan out into a spiderweb form across her face. "Gah! Ronald Weasley! You... are... so...in..._furiating_!"

She started to make her way out of the water until an arm came around her and pulled her back in.

"You're already wet. It'll be colder in the air."

He had held her longer than he should have as she struggled in his grasp. When he had finally let go, it was too late and she had turned to face in in with a serious expression.

He hadn't even been remembered the sight of her until last night when he had seen her in that white tank top and short shorts.

When she showed up, she was wearing the something along the lines of the other night with short pajama shorts and a black wife beater on.

The shook herself in front of him to get rid of the heaviness of the dreamworld she was in and then spun around to look at him.

He waved. "So, how's Paris so far?"

Hermione fell onto the bed and dragged a pillow underneath her head. "Exhausting. We've only been there for one day and already my feet are _screaming _at me." She clenched her toes. "We haven't even really gone anywhere yet either." She rolled her head over to look at Ron. "How's the Burrow?"

He turned toward her. "The same. Mum's given orders. The majority of my time was taken by peeling sprouts by hand." Ron glared at nothing. "Fred and George could have just used their wands, but _no_ they couldn't help us. They had to go out and pick up some girls without us."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "You already have a girlfriend, Ron."

Ron shrugged sheepishly. "Not like I'm not allowed to look. Just means I can't do-or say- anything to 'em."

"Wow. Your knowledge of the general rules as acting boyfriend amazes me." Sarcasm covered her voice.

"Apparently I've been doin' well, since Lavender hasn't left me yet."

"Are you expecting her to?"

"Don' know." He stretched his legs out in front of him. "Wonderin' what she thinks nowadays."

"What do you mean?"

Ron leaned back and closed his eyes. "Well, before she used to talk about..._things_...and then it all just stopped. Now she doesn't really say anything. It's all about..."

Ron didn't have to look at Hermione to feel her tense up.

Instead of getting hounded, though, thankfully she cleared her throat. "Well at least you're able to get away from her for a little while."

Her cracked an eye open. "Hermione, I'm surprised at you. If Id've said that you'd call me, what, an insensitive jerk?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "_Please_, you know what I think about Lavender."

He played with the hem of his shirt. "So...did you send us your gift? We did last night. Thought it might be better when the teleports aren't all backed up."

Hermione nodded. "Did just before I fell asleep."

"And?'

"And?"

"What'd you get me?"

Hermoine shook her head. "Not until Christmas morning."

Ron rolled over to look at her. "What's the point of not tellin' me. How do you even know if I'm real or not? Unless you've sussed that out then?"

"I haven't yet."

"Then, let's tell. Harry and I've kinda combined our efforts to get yours, we think you'll like it more now that you've got-"

Hermione covered his mouth with her hand. "I don't want to know, Ron. In the smallest chance that you are real, I don't want to get rid of the excitement of opening the gift."

The conversation continued peacefully as the nights did. They told each other what they did each day in every detail they could to pass the time. For a time they filled the awkward moments where somehow the fact of whether this was real or not, or Lavender's part in Ron's life would sneak into the conversation, with laughter.

Ron did what he could on Christmas night to steer away from what Lavender had gotten him, even though every time the conversation started to quiet Hermione would ask about it.

Eventually Christmas came and passed at ease.

Percy's visit with the family hadn't gone as smoothly as it could have and with that had come the burst of tears from his mom every now and then. When things were brought up about Christmas or when they were reminiscing on the _old days_ his mother would have to leave the room even though everyone could still hear her.

Nothing had changed between Ron and Hermione except that Ron started to notice that every night he had the tendency to fall asleep only a little earlier than usual and Hermione would follow his lead. There were a few times when he'd arrive in dormant room only to find Hermione asleep on the bed, evident that she had been there a while.

They had also found out things about the room. If they wanted things bad enough or thought about them hard enough, they'd turn up somewhere around the room. The first time it had happened Ron had been desperate for them to do something. He had thought about something they could do in a room with just the two of them and chess was the only thing that could come to mind...that they were both willing to do. That's when he got the sudden urge to look in the closet where he found the chess set. From there, he was able to expand what he thought of thinking up.

When it had finally been time to leave for Hogwarts, Ron had been relieved. With how well things were going between he and Hermione, he imagined that once they got back, they'd be on better terms. Neither of them had brought up the subject of how they were going to act once they got back, but Ron had hopes.

Until he had been completely ignored when Ron had tried to tell her about what had happened with the Minister at Christmas. It hadn't helped that the moment Lavender had spotted him she'd completely tackled him and claimed his lips right there on the spot. Only a few feet next to Hermione.

He was dreading falling asleep that night, sure he had a pickle to settle with her, but he knew that there was only going to be yelling. Most coming from to opposite end that didn't agree with him.

He was the one there early that night. Hermione hadn't shown up for nearly two hours after he did. Apparently she had been dreading it more than he had.

As soon as she appeared she had her hand raised and she was pointing at him in fury. "Don't say anything, Ron."

Ron held up his hands, staying on his seat on the chair and he kicked his feet up to have them up on the bed. "I didn't say anything."

"Well, it's not like you weren't going to."

"Well, of course I was going to say something. After you completely ignored me like that? Was I suppose to take that lying down?"

She glared. "Is something the matter with you? I _knew _that you were going to let Lavender jump all over you like that! I just _knew _it! And after all that time of you complaining about her. _That's _why I didn't talk to you, because I knew nothing had changed."

Ron took his face into his hands. "I don't get it." He motioned toward some invisible things as he stared at nothing. "You and me are gettin' along fine. You want me to break up with Lavender. Then you yell at me for complaining about her. You act like everything's alright. Then you don't talk to me when we see each other. What am I suppose to do, Hermione? Tell me, because obviously I don't know."

Hermione's arms crossed over her chest. "Well, obviously you don't get it. You shouldn't have to ask."

"Well, then lets just leave it at _'Ron's a git who doesn't get anything_'. Will that make you feel better?"

Hermione shook her head and turned from him, chuckling. "No. That won't do anything except make you look completely idiotic. Which by the way...not telling me about the Ministers visit isn't making you look like the real Ron to me. If I were you, Id've told me as soon as I had seen me that night."

Ron sighed. "I don't know why I didn' tell you. It didn't come into the conversation. Remember? We were too busy playing chess and you hittin' me with those chips."

"Because it would have been so hard to say '_Oh, and by they way, the minister stopped by and started to interrogate Harry today_'." She sat down on the bed. "I've been looking _everywhere_. I can't find anything that has to do with enchanting peoples dreams." She seemed to be talking to herself, as she didn't wait from Ron to respond.

"The only thing remotely close I've come to think of is the incident that happened with Voldemort and Harry last year. And there's no connection like that between you and I. So, unless either of us has learned Occumency, then at the moment I've found no solution to what's been happening. I don't think that anyone else would have gone through the trouble to learn it just to do this either, or, to be frank, is capable of it."

Ron hadn't caught half of what she had said. He did know that she hadn't found anything out though and from the tone in her voice, it meant that she was frustrated and stumped. "We'll figure this out. We always do. It might not be when we wanna know, but it'll come around."

Hermione rounded on him. Her face was furious and her knuckles were white from the tension. She was practically shaking and her face had started to turn red. Then it was gone and Hermione took in a deep breath, getting to her feet and pacing around the room.

"It's not all that bad. I mean you could be stuck in a room with Malfoy." He paused. "_I _could be stuck in a room with Malfoy."

Ron grinned to himself when he heard Hermione chuckle, even though she tried to hide it from him.

"Knew I could get you to laugh."

She glanced at him. "I'm still mad at you."

"Didn't expect you not to."

She nodded stiffly and continued to pace.

There was silence until she acknowledged him again.

"I was ten."

Ron raised a brow at her. "Ten? What's that have to do with anything?"

"You asked me when I had had my first kiss. It was a week before Hogwarts."

Ron thought about it and blinked. He had asked. He hadn't exactly phrased it like that though.

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"Ginny. She's gettin' on my last nerves. If I have to hear her ask about Harry one more time, I swear I'll curse off my ears. I know how to now 'cuz George tried to do it the other day."_

_"Oh please, Ron. She likes Harry. A lot. And it's not like Harry's been making any attempt to get her attention. She'll get over it eventually."_

_"Well...I don't like the fact that my baby sister has to like _him_. Of all people it had to be Harry. I can only imagine what it would be like if they got together. Wouldn't be able to be in a room alone with them. Ever."_

_"They wouldn't be bad. Besides, just because you haven't any tolerance for that sort of relationship, doesn't mean Ginny doesn't. Even if she is younger than you. Girls tend to mature faster than boys."_

_"Well...it's not like you've had any of that sort of experience...have you? I mean not like it matters, but I've never seen _you_ out with a guy before." He huffed. "Besides_ Victor_. Unless more happened in the library than we thought."_

_"What does that have to do with _anything_? Look Ginny is going to do what she wants with or without your say. That's it."_

_Ron huffed again and turned away from her to look across the water and the sun starting to set._

Hermione cleared her throat. "The first time I kissed a boy was when I was ten and it was only a week before we boarded the Hogwarts express." She stopped pacing to look at one of the bad paintings on the wall. "It was a boy that I had liked for a while, but had never even spoken to me before. He told me that now that I was leaving...it didn't matter what happened. So, he kissed me. Turns out that he liked me too, but because I was such an...outcast... he didn't bother to tell me."

Ron licked his lips and stared at her back.

"Pathetic isn't it? My first one was with such a prude like that. Only when it was too late did he do anything."

Ron chuckled to himself and shook his head, pondering on whether or not he should tell her the truth too.

"Na." He started slowly. 'That's not all that bad." He sighed deeply as his heart began to race. "My first kiss...was only a few months ago."

Hermione stopped and turned toward him with wide eyes. "Lavender?"

Ron nodded stiffly once. "Lavender."

Hermione stared at him in disbelief until something in her mind shook her loose. This _was _Ron. She couldn't help it and she broke into hysterics.

Ron glared at her. "It isn't funny. I didn't laugh at yours."

He watched her as she clutched at her stomach until he couldn't help it. Finally, his face broke and he started to laugh along with her.

Ron knew that he had only delayed the argument, but that was okay. Things were going to be okay. For now.

**~*~**

**Yes...I think I am draggin this out...but is it _really_ a bad thing?**

If you're wonderin' why things didn't go smoothly with Percy at Christmas, then if you read my _Deleted Scenes, _comin' up is that little encounter while Harry's with the Minister.

Haven't finished with the forth chapter yet, unlike I have for the other ones.

Lata's, and Love Yalls!


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